


inception

by SerpentineJ



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Can be read as gen, F/F, M/M, very light on the pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 04:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6141052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerpentineJ/pseuds/SerpentineJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>svu as inception au. Olivia Benson was a detective in dream-related cases before getting fed up with the system and going rogue. </p><p>featuring: ethical criminal dream-team (literally lmao) leader Olivia, veteran dreamer Fin, formerly-solo Amanda, anasthesiologist Melinda, snarky but genius architect Barba, and student architect Sonny (night school, Fordam Dream School.) Rita Calhoun as the ceo of the energy company who hires the team to perform inception on Mike Dodds, heir to a rival energy company throne, after his father's death to convince him to dissolve the company.</p><p>(vaguely barisi and rilivia, can be read as gen)</p>
            </blockquote>





	inception

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: (it's not, strictly speaking, legal.) i'm writing this while rewatchng inception w the fam and i need more inception aus. also hints of rilivia bc i am terrible

"How do you mess up the carpet?" Olivia exclaims, running a hand through her hair, frowning fiercely at the architect. 

The man- low-level criminal, decent enough architect but not very bright, throws up his hands. "I didn't know she was gonna be rubbin' her friggin' cheek in it!" He replies exasperatedly. "What's the difference? Wool, polyester, who cares."

"Obviously Rita Calhoun does." Amanda deadpans, unhooking the IV from her elbow, sitting up in her seat. "We've gotta split. Everyone for themselves."

"Definitely." Fin rubs his eyes and pulls out his own needle, tossing it into the briefcase on the floor. "I should go visit my son, anyways."

Amanda chuckles. "Don't say that in front of Liv, she'll get jealous. She's still wanted stateside, remember?"

"Don't remind me." Olivia rolls her eyes and stands. "I'll contact you eventually if we get another job, but we'll probably have to lay low for a while. Cobalt Engineering's not going to be happy with us botching Calhoun."

She tosses a wad of cash at the boy who they'd gotten to do their timing for them, paying him for his time, and slings her bag over her shoulder before stepping out of the train compartment. 

"C'mon, we should go before she wakes up." Fin says to Amanda, motioning to the still-sleeping woman in the chair opposite him. 

"Yeah, that'd be awkward to explain." She replies, getting up.

They pack up their equipment and leave.

When Rita Calhoun wakes, it's to an empty train compartment and an idea.

~~~~~~

"Where are you gonna go?" Amanda hefts her bag higher on her shoulder, looking over at Olivia, unbreaking in her stride. They're on the roof of their hotel, about to board the getaway helicopter, as outrageous as it might sound.

Benson shrugs. "Buenos Aires, maybe." She says. "I hear South America's nice this time of year."

Rollins smiles. "Have a nice time. Relax a little."

"Yeah, relax." Olivia chuckles. "It's just Cobalt Engineering hitmen trying to find every member of our team."

The door to the helicopter swings open.

The first thing Olivia notices is their crappy architect, half-sitting, half-lying in one of the seats. There's a cut on his face, near the right eye, and he has a bloody lip.

The next thing she sees is Rita Calhoun.

"Get in." Calhoun smiles. "We've got a lot to discuss."

Benson raises an eyebrow. "And if we don't want to?"

"I'll kill him right here and now." Rita says lightly, shrugs, motions to the architect. "Besides, it's in your best interests to, anyways. I'll give you a ride."

They get in.

Immediately two of the suited men drag the architct out, and as the helicopter takes off, Olivia sees them dragging him to the building's rooftop staircase, rough, brutal- he's not gonna survive the week.

"What are you going to do with him?" She asks.

Calhoun looks directly at her. "Nothing." She responds. "But I'm not so sure about Cobalt Engineering."

There's a beat of silence- not entirely awkward, more unsure. Vaguely implied death threats will have that effect on a conversation. Calhoun seems content to sit, listening to the whirr of the helicopter blades- maybe it's some mind game, a trick to psych them into talking, Olivia thinks. It's been done before. It's not until the helicopter touches down that Calhoun speaks.

"You passed." She says abruptly, eyes on Benson. "I have a job for you."

Benson pauses in getting her bag up off the seat. "Are you kidding me?" She asks. "You had all flight to talk. There's a lot of heat on my team right now, the answer is no."

She and Rollins get out of the door, feet on the ground, before Calhoun calls out, "You're wanted in the States, right?" 

Olivia stops, glances at her.

She continues. "What if I told you I could make that arrest warrant disappear?"

"Nobody can make that disappear." Benson shakes her head, but doesn't turn around.

Amanda looks at her. "We should go, Liv."

Calhoun smiles. "I can." She says. "And I'll pay your usual rate."

They climb back in the helicopter.

"Do you even know what I'm wanted for?" Olivia asks, leaning forwards, elbows on her knees.

"I do." Rita says. "First degree murder of William Louis, serial rapist who put his victims into a dream state so he could torture, rape, and kill them without... well, actually killing them." She pauses. "I also know you have an adoptive son."

Amanda stiffens. Benson's eyes narrow. 

"Noah, right?" Calhoun continues, deliberately not looking directly at Liv. "He's four by now, staying with your mother. You can't see him because you'll be thrown in prison as soon as you step foot on American soil."

"What are you trying to say?" Rollins interjects.

Calhoun raises an eyebrow. "What I've already said." She says. "I can help you see your son again, Olivia."

Benson doesn't look away.

"What's the job." She says.

Rita smiles. She knows she's got Olivia on the hook.

"Inception." She says.

 

Amanda blinks, taken aback.

"Inception." She scoffs, leaning back in her seat. "It's impossible."

"Why?" Calhoun turns to her. "You can extract an idea from a person's head, why can't you plant one there instead?"

"It doesn't work like that." Rollins frowns. "If I say, 'don't think about elephants', what are you thinking about?"

Calhoun cocks her head. "Elephants."

"But you know I gave you the idea." Amanda continues. "The mind can always trace the genesis of an idea. To achieve inception... you'd need to go incredibly deep into the target's mind. It's impossible."

Benson speaks up. "It's not impossible." She says, quietly.

Both women turn to her.

"So, do we have a deal?" Calhoun smiles. 

Olivia sits back. "Depends." She says. "What's the job."

Rita folds her hands in her lap, legs crossed. "Mike Dodds."

"The heir apparent to Dodds Energy?" Amanda says skeptically.

"Dodds Sr. is on his deathbed, and I need his son to decide to dissolve the Dodds Energy empire." Calhoun continues. "My company is the last one standing between them and total energy dominance, and we can't fight much longer."

"So you're interested in the better interests of the world." Benson says sarcastically. "Not just taking out your biggest competitor."

Calhoun smiles. "What can I say. I'm a good samaritan."

Amanda rolls her eyes. "Sure." 

Olivia eyes the woman across from her. "You'll pay the usual rate?"

"And get you back to your son." Calhoun nods. 

Benson purses her lips.

~~~~~

"You're going to do... what?" Rafael Barba asks incredulously, resting his tiny espresso cup back on its saucer. "Rita Calhoun, a former target, wants to hire you to perform inception?"

Olivia nods, sitting back in her chair. The Italian sun is warm on their backs, and the hustle and bustle of the city of Milan drifts around them, Vespas zooming past the cafe they're seated outside of. 

"Yeah." She replies. "Barba, she says she can get me back into the States. Back to Noah."

He raises his eyebrows. "And you believe her?"

Olivia sighs. "I think I do."

"She's a businesswoman, Liv." He says. "A shark."

"I know, but what choice do I have?" Benson takes a sip from her latte. "I have to take the job."

"And you want me to come with." Barba drains his espresso in one drink. "Why am I not surprised."

Olivia smiles. "I need an architect." She wheedles. "And you know- everyone knows- you're the best one in the business."

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Barba smirks. "The usual rate?"

"Nothing less." She grins back. "You in?"

Rafael rolls his eyes.

"Someone has to make sure you don't get yourselves killed." He says, mock-put-upon.

Olivia snorts. "As if you're not worse than all of us." She replies. "What was your last job, again? The one that has you laying low in Italy?"

He shrugs. "The heat on me should have died down by now, I'll be fine." He says. "Besides, you know your jobs pay better than anyone else."

"You're damn right." Benson finishes her latte. The cup clinks delicately when she sets it back in the saucer. "Because I'm the best."

Barba huffs a laugh and stands. "Shall we?" He says, picking up his coat.

"Sure." She replies, getting up. "Oh, one more thing."

Rafael pauses. "I hate it when you do this."

Olivia smiles apologetically. "I'm getting my mother- you know, architect professor in New York- to conscript us one of her best and brightest for some real-world experience." She says. "And I need you to train them."

"Babysitting?" Barba says incredulously. "You're kidding me."

Benson pats him on the shoulder. "Not babysitting." She replies. "To get to inception, we need another architect, Barba, and you're the best in the business."

"My cholesterol's high enough, don't butter my ass." Rafael purses his lips. "Fine. I'll mentor whatever... kid your mother sends us. Only so you don't get killed."

"Thank you." She says. "You know, we're down a man, since Amaro retired from this side of the business after the incident in Spain."

"How is Amaro?" He asks. "Still a stubborn bastard?"

Olivia laughs. "Definitely." She replies. "He's doing well, physical therapy down in San Fran with his son and his daughter."

"That's good." Barba says.

Benson smiles. "Yeah, he's consulting for a dream security company. He got out."

"I assume you have plane tickets for us to your base of operations already?" He sighs.

"Of course." Olivia says. "But we need to pick someone up first."

~~~~~~

"Did Professor Benson tell you why you're here?" 

They're standing on a rooftop overlooking the busy city streets. Barba leans against the railing, arms crossed, eyeing the new guy- Sonny Carisi, tall, pale, lanky, Brooklyn accent, top of his class.

"In Italy? School trip." He shrugs. "Meeting with you guys? No idea."

Barba leans close to Liv. 

"Rude." He mutters, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "I like him already."

Olivia elbows him. "Give the kid a chance, Barba." She says. 

Rafael rolls his eyes.

"Do you have any real experience in dreaming?" He asks, turning his full attention to Carisi, narrowing his eyes. 

Sonny sticks his hands in his pockets. "Nah." He says. "I've done loads of the practicals, though."

"Not the same." Barba shoots back.

Benson coughs. "Sonny, this is Rafael Barba." She says, gesturing at him. "Barba, Sonny Carisi. My mother recommended him."

"Wait," Sonny pauses, "Rafael Barba? Like, Iannucci-job Rafael Barba? We studied that case in class, the sheer control over the architecture you had-"

"The very same." Olivia smiles.

Barba stiffens. "Oh my god, he's a fan." He says lowly in Olivia's ear. "I can't work with a fan."

"Rafael, please." Benson gives him an exasperated look. "Consider this your job interview, Carisi." She hands him a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen.

"You have one minute." Barba says. "The best maze you can. Try me."

Carisi raises his eyebrows but sets the pen to paper.

"Time." Barba says after a minute, taking the pen and pad from the other man. It's a relatively simple maze- square, typical. Dull. He solves it in thirty seconds and tosses the paper back to Carisi.

"Again."

Sonny tries again.

Barba solves it again, forty-two seconds.

Carisi grits his teeth.

When the next minute's called, Sonny hands Rafael the paper, grinning- circular, complex, Barba looks it. He turns to Olivia and nods.

"I suppose he'll do." He grumbles. Benson chuckles.

"Then we have a plane to catch." She smiles.

~~~~~~

"Another job?" Amanda pulls up to the address given to her by Olivia. A warehouse. "So soon after Cobalt?"

Fin, who's sitting in the passenger seat, shrugs. "It's something special." He says. "Or Liv wouldn't call us with all this heat on us. Calhoun says she can get Liv back to Noah, she's gotta take the chance. I get it."

Rollins sighs and parks. "Maybe." She replies, unbuckling her seatbelt.

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: i thought it was a cool concept. might continue, might not tbh 'cause my writing juices are a little tapped out........ as always, this is pretty much unedited, so blame mistakes on my "3hrs of sleep in geopol class bc my geopol class is boring as shit. there are no politics it's all geography" brain and the fact that wordpad doesn't have spellcheck
> 
> also, let's play spot-the-billions-line!! damian lewis is a huge nerd
> 
> [yo, i'm on tumblr](http://serpentinej.tumblr.com)


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